Orioles getting used to stretch of daytime baseball

Eduardo A. EncinaThe Baltimore Sun

Friday’s series opener in Detroit will be the first of five straight day games for the Orioles. All of their games against the Tigers this weekend will be day games, and their next two games, against the New York Yankees in the Bronx, will be on Monday and Tuesday afternoon.

“I think it’s probably good going into the season when it’s going to be cold,” Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy said. “We’re still kind of on a spring training schedule, so it’s not too difficult. If this happened in the middle of the season, it might be bad, but in this situation it’s probably good.”

“Without a doubt,” he said. “We’ve been on that clock all spring, but we’re almost off that. That’s why I really pushed for night games the last week in Sarasota, but it takes the cooperation of another team. There’s a lot of give-and-take there. We had a tough last-week schedule. It didn’t work out well.

"That split-squad doubleheader on the road [against the Tampa Bay Rays last Wednesday] was tough. Nobody remembers that in September and October, anyway, so night games, day games, on the road, what are you going to do?”

The biggest adjustment, Showalter said, will come Friday, when the Orioles arrive in Detroit early in the morning for a 1 p.m. game.

“We’ll get to bed at 3, 4 o’clock, and we have an advance meeting at 10 [a.m.],” he said.

Around the horn

Adam Jones, Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy were presented their American League Silver Slugger awards during a pregame ceremony Thursday. … Nelson Cruz became the fifth player in club history Wednesday to homer in his first two games as an Oriole, joining Frank Robinson (1966), Rafael Palmeiro (1994), Pete Incaviglia (1996) and Sal Fasano (2005). … Former Orioles reliever and current Red Sox closer Koji Uehara turned 39 Thursday. … Right-hander Edgmer Escalona (shoulder tightness) still hasn’t resumed throwing but has continued shoulder strengthening exercises. … Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Quintin Berry will fly to Boston on Friday to receive his 2013 World Series ring as part of the Red Sox’s home-opener ceremonies. … Red Sox left fielder Jonny Gomes batted leadoff Thursday for the first time since Aug. 26, 2007, only the second time in his career he’s batted first.